Memories
by KokiriQueen
Summary: Breath of the Wild : "If restoring his memories was what he needed to do to save Zelda, then that was what he would do." : Link's thoughts and feelings during each of the 18 recovered memories.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: Hello all, this is my new story, _Memories_ , it is a Legend of Zelda story taking place during Breath of the Wild. It carries along with the main plot, it is just what I hoped Link would be thinking during the memories which he is recovering. Hope you like it!**

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King Rhoam's spirit vanished. He now stood atop the ruined Temple of Time alone, with nothing but a traveler's sword, a dainty wooden shield, and his thoughts.

Link looked out into the vast land beyond. Something about it did seem familiar, and as the late King had told him, he was looking at Hyrule. It was a grand kingdom, full of beauty and grace, a kingdom which he had apparently protected with his life 100 years prior.

But as much as he stared, or as much as he racked his brain, Link could not remember.

He had known these lands left and right, traveling them with the Princess, desperately in search of something to aid them in their fight against Calamity Ganon. He had memorized the good routes, the bad routes, which towns and stables were safest to board at for the night. He had loved this kingdom, and everything in it, but he could not remember.

With a deep sigh and his sights set onward, Link walked over to the paraglider the King had dropped for him. He picked it up and held it firmly in his hand. No longer would he mourn the memories he did not have. He knew he would likely regain them as he traveled through his homeland.

No longer would he have pity on himself for being defeated 100 years before. He would use that as momentum towards his new target, of restoring the Divine Beasts to their proper state, and bringing an end to Calamity Ganon altogether.

No longer would Link think only of himself. He had the people of Hyrule to think about. Their safety was his first priority. He would ride to every inch of Hyrule, he would fight every monster created by Ganon, he would stop at no depths until his foe was dead, bringing peace to Hyrule, and safety to Princess Zelda.

As he took a running leap off the plateau and began his journey, Link could not remember the details of Princess Zelda, only that when he thought of her and her name, a warmth spread through him like no other. She was his Princess, and he would die one thousand times over if it meant she was safe.

If restoring his memories was what he needed to do to save Zelda, then that was what he would do.


	2. Subdued Ceremony

**A/N: Here is Chapter 2, pretty quickly! I'm going to try to get the first few off quickly, so that you have something to read! I am still writing my other stories which are my priority, but these will be easy to write so I may get these posted quicker.**

 **I have decided to include all 18 memories in this story, rather than just 13. They will go in order chronologically, and they will be posted and titled accordingly. Enjoy!**

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"Hero of Hyrule, chosen by the sword that seals the darkness..."

He kneeled before his Princess, in the center of the Sacred Ground just outside of Castle Town. His moment had finally come. In his years of proving himself as a knight and a worthy guard for her, Link was finally being knighted by Princess Zelda herself.

Though it wasn't an unbelievably special day; The entire kingdom was preparing themselves for the worst war they could ever imagine. Link's knighting was hardly anyone's main priority at the moment. Not even the King himself was in attendance, just the four Champions and of course, Princess Zelda.

"You have shown unflinching bravery and skill in the face of darkness and adversity, and have proven yourself worthy of the blessings of the Goddess Hylia."

 _Hardly_ , Link thought. He had passed a couple of tests set by the King, and had trained since near birth with his father on being a Royal Knight, but he was not that far above the other knights when it came to skill. Being as young as he was, his true ally, the one to thank for his praised skill, was his agility. He could dodge attacks and move in ways no one could match. His stealth was unlike any in the past 50 years.

As for his bravery, he could say he deserved some bragging rights there as well. As the other knights complained, he was just a reckless teenager, hardly worthy of any recognition, likely to cause the death of fellow guards or, even worse, get killed himself. But so far, it had worked out all in his favor.

When it came to the Yiga Clan, not a single person could protect Zelda better than Link. His hatred for the malicious clan burned brighter than anyone. It was not bravery or skill that drove him to perform so well against the traitors, but pure hatred.

"Whether skyward bound, adrift in time, or steeped in the glowing embers of twilight, the sacred blade is forever bound to the soul of the hero."

His ancestors had set the bar quite high for him. Far back in the blood of his father was the Hero of Time himself, making it none the more obvious that he would be the recipient of the title 'Hero' in this age.

He huffed, as quietly as he could. There were times when even he doubted if he was truly the hero. The past few years, with the crowning of the four Champions, Mipha, Daruk, Revali, and Urbosa, he had quite a lot of doubt riding on his shoulders. From Revali especially, he felt like nothing more than a silly teenager, biting off more than he could chew.

It was times like those he wished his father were still around. When faced with adversity, Link's father always had the answer, no matter how terrible things were. He himself grew up with tales of Calamity Ganon, and used those tales to spark not only an eternal hatred inside of Link, but a fear that motivated him to become the best he could, so that should the Calamity ever come again, he would be much more than prepared.

"We pray for your protection... and we hope that- that the two of you will grow stronger together, as one."

Hearing the Princess falter like that was no reassurance to his promotion. If even Zelda had no faith in him, why were they still here?

 _The sword_. The Master Sword was the reason for Link's recognition, for this ceremony. Up until now, the Master Sword, the sword that seals away darkness, had sat in Hyrule Castle, untouched by any since 10,000 years previous, when the Hero of Twilight had wielded it, sealing his foe away to the darkness forever. Many had tried, of course, to prove themselves worthy, to lift the sword without even a flinch, but all had failed.

Up until King Rhoam, desperate for a hero in the preparations for Ganon's return, had taken each knight and tried them with this sword. None succeeded, until the Princess stepped up boldly to her father.

" _What about Link? I think he's proven himself worthy one hundred times over in the training in the barracks_." Zelda had boasted, dragging Link up by his arm in front of the sword and the King.

" _Oh please, he is but a child. While he is a valued knight, he is no hero_!" King Rhoam had laughed. He had begun to walk away when Zelda nudged Link's shoulder and whispered to him.

" _Give it a go, won't you? You will never know if you never try. You've got hero's blood_!" Hearing her sweet voice so close to his ear was more than enough to motivate him. He had given her a reassuring nod and stepped up to the sword.

In one swift motion, Link unhinged the sword and raised it high. Zelda squealed and King Rhoam, as well as the rest of the Royal Guard, looked absolutely flabbergasted. But Link was just as surprised as they were.

Link snapped out of his head, and continued listening to the Princess in her knighting process.

"Forged in the distant past..."

But whispers off to his left caught his ear.

"Gee, this is uplifting. She's making it sound like we already lost!"

Daruk, the Goron Champion, was the first to complain of the Princess's faultiness. While he was not necessarily wrong, Link felt a burning passion to tell them to shut it.

The Rito Champion, Revali, someone who Link had a special quarrel with, was the first to retaliate at Daruk.

"Wasn't this your idea? You're the one who wanted to designate the appointed knight with all the ceremonial pomp, grandeur, and nonsense we could muster!

"And if you ask me, the whole thing does seem to be overkill. I think I'm on the same page as the Princess regarding... this boy."

When this caught Link's ear, he almost leapt in the air and sent the Master Sword straight through Revali's beak.

It was not the insult that bothered him. He and Revali were known among Hyrule for the competition between them. Revali was Link's greatest nemesis, never letting Link forget his age, his lack of _real_ battle experience, and also his failures, whenever they did happen.

But no, it was his mention of the Princess. It was one thing to doubt Zelda's faith in him by her quavering voice during this official knighting, but it was a complete other thing to hear from someone else that she did not have faith in him.

At least when he thought it himself, Link could tell himself he was being silly, that Zelda undoubtedly trusted Link with her life, and would not have made him her appointed knight otherwise. But hearing these words from Revali, Link's heart sank deep.

He wanted to make the Princess proud, to prove that he wasn't just some boy, to not just gain her trust, but to earn it. He wanted to be the person to make Zelda forget that Hyrule was under the threat of a catastrophic calamity every second. He wanted to make her feel safe.

Clearly, he had failed.

"Oh give it a rest."

Urbosa had cut into the bickering by now.

"That boy is a living reminder of her own failures. Well, at least that's how the Princess sees him."

The Gerudo Champion was not wrong. The reason Zelda needed an appointed knight, which her father did not hesitate on making clear to the whole kingdom, was because she could not awaken the ancient power deep within her that would allow her to seal away Calamity Ganon once and for all. She had the blood of the Goddess Hylia, just as her father, but only women of that bloodline could awaken the sacred power, and Zelda was one of few in a long line of Royal blood.

Unable to protect herself, that was what Link was for. Somehow, the Hero's descendant and the Goddess's descendant would pair up against the mighty calamity, just as fate would have it.

This, although heartbreaking for Princess Zelda, gave Link a bout of reassurance.

As he continued to kneel, he felt Zelda's eyes pouring onto him. No matter what anyone said, or what anyone did, Link was her appointed knight. Link was the one who, from now on, would accompany Princess Zelda wherever she went. By the King's orders, he had to spend every waking minute with her, and every sleeping minute continuing to protect her. His new job was to be with the beautiful Princess all hours of every day.

And knowing the fact that it wasn't just the King who wanted him with her, that Zelda herself knew that she needed him there, Link was okay with it.


	3. Revali's Flap

**A/N: Chapter 3, Revali's Flap! So, in case anyone missed it and is confused, I have decided to include ALL the memories, even the Divine Beast ones. I originally wanted the story to focus on Link and Zelda's relationship, but I figured it should be mostly about Link and what he thinks.**

 **Also, if anyone is wondering, the dialogue expressed in these chapters is the same dialogue in the actual memories from the game (disclaimer, I did not write the dialogue, I do not own the characters, all character and script credit to Nintendo, bless their souls. I just write Link's thoughts based on my opinion on him.)**

 **Enjoy!**

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Link was standing near the edge of a flight platform near the base of Rito village. He stood in his tunic, slightly cold from the altitude, and looked up high in the sky. He admired the grace of Divine Beast Vah Medoh, which flew effortlessly overhead of the village.

It was quite magnificent, thinking of how humans had built those machines. That was what Princess Zelda always told him, and now he could see, she was right.

But before long, Link's moment was interrupted. A strong gust of wind suddenly came from below the platform, and he had to cover his face. Before he could see clearly again, a familiar, annoying voice spoke, with a hint of bragging in it's tone.

"Impressive, I know."

Revali soared up onto the platform where Link was standing in a mad fury. The gales were almost strong enough to knock him over, but he stood his ground, refusing to let the obnoxious Rito get the better of him. He, of course, was not referring to the Divine Beast that Link had been admiring, but himself, and his personal twister.

Link hadn't said or done anything, not even glancing Revali's way, before he had began to boast about himself. _How miraculous_ , Link thought, _a Rito that can fly_. Revali was known through the land as an arrogant jerk, especially towards Link, but no one dared say it to his face.

"Very few can achieve a mastery of the sky. Yet I have made an art of creating an updraft that allows me to soar."

He had landed on the wooden rail at the edge of the platform and sat comfortably staring at Link, not breaking his vicious eye contact for even a second.

Link couldn't help but admire his freshly preened feathers, both figuratively and literally. While Revali sure boosted his ego more often than not, he also kept himself very well groomed. But naturally, it was all in line with his attitude.

All Rito were naturally good flyers, they were inhabitants of the sky. They could see everything perched atop the mountains, from the smallest theft to the biggest ceremony. The Rito were the underutilized crime stoppers of Hyrule. Yet still, Revali only credited himself, not the ways and means of his ancestors.

"It's considered to be quite the masterpiece of aerial techniques, even among the Rito."

As much as he hated to admit it, Link knew Revali was right. He had a way of spinning into his flight to create a twister of sorts to allow him to reach unattainable heights by a normal Rito.

Revali hadn't given his signature move a name, he rarely performed it in front of a lot of people, worried they may try to copy it. This was what surprised Link the most. Revali, as it so happened, was _not_ taking every opportunity to boast about every little thing about him.

He never hesitated to discuss it with everyone, though.

"With proper utilization my superior skills, I see no reason why we couldn't easily dispense with Ganon."

Link rolled his eyes. It was one thing to brag about his conducting of Divine Beast Vah Medoh, but to insist that should he perform his skills properly, they could finish Ganon once and for all? That was absurd.

He almost said something in retaliation, but he didn't want to feed Revali any bait. He knew that if he said anything remotely wrong, Revali would chase down the Princess and insist that Link was not fit for the line of duty, that he wasn't 'right in the head'.

And the last thing he wanted was Princess Zelda taking pity on him or thinking he was a joke. So he kept his mouth shut.

"Now then, my ability to explore the firmament is certainly of note..."

 _Yeah, we established that you can fly_. Link was close to reaching his limit with Revali. This happened more often than not when they were forced into each other's company. This meeting was only necessary because Princess Zelda wanted to check on the progress of the Divine Beasts and how the four Champions were coming along with them, but she was busy herself at the Spring of Courage, so she sent Link.

He always wondered how Revali had been chosen as the Rito Champion. While he was one of the best aerial warriors in Hyrule, his attitude was enough to make even the dullest person resent him.

King Rhoam must've seen some promise in Revali, so Link knew he should not be so quick to judge him...

"But let's not- pardon me for being so blunt- let's not forget the fact that I am the most skilled archer of all the Rito."

 _There goes all hope_ , Link thought. And for Revali to have the nerve to pardon himself for bluntness, Link wondered why he even bothered.

"Yet despite these truths, it seems that I have been tapped to merely assist you."

 _Here we go_. Link knew Revali would start getting personal now. He always held a certain jealousy of Link. Everyone knew Revali believed he was the rightful appointed knight to the Princess, but Link had beat him out for the position.

"All because you happen to have that little darkness-sealing sword on your back."

As always, Revali doubted the real power of the Master Sword. Just because he had failed to lift it from it's pedestal in front of the King and all, he refused to accept that Link was the rightful owner of the title 'Hero'.

"I mean it's just... asinine."

 _What a preen-feathered, arrogant, good-for-nothing..._

Link took a deep breath and sighed. He knew wishing bad upon Revali would do more harm than good. If he truly wanted to prove himself, he needed to be calm and collected in the face of his arch nemesis. That would prove to the Princess, and everyone, that he really was meant for greatness.

But unfortunately for Link, it seemed Revali had heard his sigh, taking it as a challenge.

"Unless... you think you can prove me wrong?"

The Rito warrior eyed Link, making him very uncomfortable. The last thing Link wanted was to get on Revali's bad- well, _really_ bad- side by beating him in whatever he had planned.

When it came to combat, everyone knew Link was the greatest. Sure, there were some other knights on the Royal Guard who nearly matched his skill, but Link's repertoire in every category was overall the best.

Though he hadn't seen much _real_ battle; nothing could compare to the horrors that were Calamity Ganon and his followers; Link had still seen a great amount of fights and quarrels with other kingdoms that were worthy of being titled war or battle.

But of course, Revali had always insisted otherwise.

"Maybe we should just settle this one on one?"

Now he was just being foolish. When Link said that everyone knew he was the best, he meant _everyone_ , including Revali. He was just in horrible denial.

The entire kingdom was aware of the rivalry between Link and Revali. During every ceremony since his crowning as a Champion, Revali did not hesitate to call Link out in front of the crowd, insisting he was a coward, challenging him to a fight. But each and every time, Link denied gracefully, making Revali look like the fool.

But still, Revali persisted. He would sneak into the barracks during training and torment Link and attempt to embarrass him in front of the entire army. Link, being the introvert he was, never showed any signs of annoyance. He always tried to never let the petty things get to him.

The only times he ever retaliated against Revali, which were the only things keeping the rivalry going, were when Revali humiliated him in front of Princess Zelda.

The times Revali knew she was watching, or knew she could hear, he would demand that Link put down the sword and challenged him to a race. Not your average race, a race to the sky. He would say that a real warrior would master every type of combat there ever could be, the most important of all being aerial.

Only when Princess Zelda was around would Link turn beet red and snap. And once Revali would leave in amusement after Link's berating, the Princess would approach him, asking if he was alright, telling him not to let Revali get to him.

That, for Link, was most embarrassing of all.

"But where...? Oh, I know! How about up there?!"

The rambunctious Rito pointed his wing to the sky, towards Vah Medoh. Link, who was excited for a chance to prove Revali wrong for real, dropped his shoulders in disappointment. He should've expected as much from Revali.

"Oh, you must pardon me. I forgot that you have no way of making it up to that Divine Beast on your own!"

It was the one place at the moment where Link would be unsuccessful against Revali, and given that the both of them knew it, Revali never hesitated to use it against Link. It was his one obvious weakness in their quarrel.

With this, Revali had had his fun. He crouched down and leapt up into his sweeping spiral of wind, carrying him high into the sky towards the Divine Beast. He was on his way to continue practicing the controls of Vah Medoh, and Link could only hope that he would stay in the sky for good this time, never bothering him or anyone else with his arrogance ever again.

But naturally, Revali had to get in one last sarcastic comment before taking off to perform his duty to Hyrule.

"Good luck sealing the darkness!"

Good Goddesses, Link really hated that bird.


	4. Resolve and Grief

Link walked steadily several paces behind Princess Zelda. They strode through the grasslands northwest of Kakariko village, heading north. Her strides were quick and determined, causing Link to jog every few steps to keep up.

She walked forward, with the Sheikah Slate perched out in front of her, leading the way. Her long golden hair swayed gracefully behind her with every step she took, and Link couldn't help but admire it.

"From here, we'll make our way to Goron City."

She called back, knowing he was several steps behind her, but not making any effort to slow down. Link kept his face expressionless, in fear that if Zelda looked back, she would catch him in a goofy grin.

He was doing just as instructed; following Princess Zelda's every move and command. And although it was not the most glamorous job in all of Hyrule, Link would not want to be doing anything else.

"Then, we'll need some adjustments on that Divine Beast so Daruk can manage it as easily as possible."

Visiting Death Mountain would be a much more enjoyable trip than Link's trip to Rito village. The fire-dwelling Gorons were some of Link's favorite folk in all of Hyrule. They were kind-hearted, despite their tough exterior.

The only thing that was going to be exhausting about this trip was the heat. In some places, Death Mountain got so hot that even the air burned, so without the proper clothing, any non-Goron would quickly set ablaze and burn to death. Of course, the areas where that occurred, Link had last heard they had been abandoned by even the Gorons, and slowly infested with monsters.

But who knows? Maybe Link could get in some long distance target practice in his trip up the mountain.

"He's figured out how to get it to move... However, it's apparent that we still have much more to learn."

Her eagerness to learn impressed him. Truthfully, he wasn't even sure if this was what she was supposed to be prioritizing right now. Link knew the King was upset with her lack of progress in awakening her ancient power, which was why he was even around. And he did not think the King would take too kindly to Zelda focusing her energy on the Divine Beasts, rather than on her studies...

But it wasn't any of Link's business, so he refrained from mentioning it.

"But to think, that Divine Beast was actually built by people..."

The excitement in her voice was unmistakable. Link, too, was fascinated by these monstrous robotics, only because Zelda's enthusiasm had eventually rubbed off onto him.

Even before he became her appointed knight, he would hear her roaming about the castle, often speaking to the King about it, going on and on about the Divine Beasts and what they are capable of. She was very young when the Beasts were fixed up and running again, sparking her interest from an early age.

And Link had to admit, her growing excitement for them was quite cute.

"That means we should be able to understand how it works and how to use it to our advantage."

Naturally, as Zelda grew, she became wiser and began learning how to rule the kingdom, in preparation for the day she became Queen. So as time went on, her priorities changed. Rather than be fascinated by the looks and powers of the Divine Beasts, her thoughts turned strategic, and she made plans for how to properly utilize the four Beasts to their full potential in the protection of Hyrule.

Her passion and determination was admired by many, unfortunately, the King was not one of them. Link often found himself slightly pitying the Princess, with how much she was harped on by the King. Her curiosity of these machines was not out of place, but according to her father, she was wasting her time worrying about them.

"These Divine Beasts... so much we don't know... But if we want to turn back the Calamity Ganon, they're our best hope."

Zelda stopped in her tracks, causing Link to come to an abrupt halt, still several steps behind her. She studied the landscape they were in for a moment, before she held the Sheikah Slate up and snapped a picture.

Link didn't know why she chose this place for a picture, but when she gave a quick glance back at him nervously, he couldn't help but wonder if it was a personal matter.

The Princess pocketed the Sheikah Slate, but hesitated before continuing on.

"Tell me the truth..."

She spoke quietly and calmly, but he detected a hint of resentment in her voice.

Without her even having said a word yet, Link's heart dropped. He knew, as well as the Princess did, that she did not fully trust him yet. He had done just as told, spent every waking moment with her, but she still did not treat him as a friend, or even as an acquaintance.

Honestly, Link didn't know what he was expecting. That she would praise him? Smile and laugh when he was around as if they were friends? Perhaps more than that?

He was her servant, her appointed knight, in her presence for nothing more than protection. She didn't have to like him, but he didn't know why it bothered him so much that she didn't.

"How proficient are you right now, wielding that sword on your back?"

Without the blink of an eye, or even turning around to face him, Princess Zelda had just insulted Link's very existence.

He was hurt, but he knew he had no right to be. It was a valid question. He was no extraordinary knight, just as everyone in Hyrule knew. He was maybe above average, but that was it.

The sole reason he was looked so highly upon by the people of Hyrule was because he was chosen by the Master Sword. He was the one legends said would be a hero, the only worthy wielder of the sword that seals the darkness. But he had yet to prove himself in the eyes of the Princess.

"Legend says that an ancient voice resonates inside it."

It was the tale of the first hero, who rode high in the sky to save the Goddess's descendant and his people. It was told that his sword held a companion for him, a guide to heroism, if you will. Link had grown up hearing of these tales, the tales of his ancestors.

His father never failed to teach him every detail of his bloodline, and never let him forget the expectations set for him.

 _You have a lot to live up to, young man_ , his father always said. _Every man in our bloodline since the last strike of Calamity Ganon has attempted to wield that sword, The Master Sword. If it chooses you, the fate of Hyrule will rest in your hands._

Those words rang loudly in the back of his head. Especially in times like this, when even the Princess, the one he was meant to protect, doubted him.

"Can you hear it yet... hero?"

Her lack of confidence in him could not be clearer. But he refused to give up. As he faced her back, Link made a silent vow to Zelda, his Princess.

 _I will not fail you._

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 **A/N: Feel free to PM me any time with questions or comments!**


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